A tall, blond man entered the room before my grandfather and uncle could finish their discussion. He had a muscular build nearly as noticeable as Everan's and wore a sword strapped to his belt. His eyes were pale blue and sharp.
“Your Majesties.” The man bowed to my grandparents, then to my uncle. “Your Highness, you summoned me?”
“Commander, have there been any strange incidents in the city?” Uncle Nial asked. “Anything reported to you that you couldn't explain?”
The Commander lifted his chin. “Nothing of note.”
“Would that 'nothing of note' include incidents involving the elements?” Nial pressed. “Say, for example, a forge acting strangely?”
Commander Fabin looked uncomfortable. “We did have a forge flare-up in Terraelle, but it only happened once.”
Prince Nial gave his father a smug look.
King Benalt flushed and snapped, “Commander Fabin, your duty is to inform me of everything that could affect our kingdom. A forge flare-up has never occurred before—unless it has and you have made a habit of omitting such things from your reports?”
“No, Your Majesty,” Fabin stammered, “it's never happened before, not to my knowledge.”
“If it has never happened before, why did you think it unworthy of my attention?” King Benalt demanded.
“As I said, Sire, it was only once.”
“And have there been other never-before, only-once occurrences that you have failed to inform me of?”
Commander Fabin swallowed visibly. “There was an odd report of a shriveled tree, Your Majesty.”
“Awhat?” My grandfather narrowed his eyes at Fabin.
“A tree in the Kassar Forest was found shriveled, Sire. It seemed to have been dehydrated in some way.”
“Trees do not shrivel when they get dehydrated, Commander,” Uncle Nial said with an eye roll. “They dry up and die. Was the tree dead?”
Everyone went still. Trees did not die in Danu.
“No, Your Highness,” Fabin said. “But, as I said, its trunk was shriveled—both wrinkled and shrunken.”
“Like a corpse,” I murmured. “A mummy.”
Everan cast me a heavy look.
“When was this shriveled tree discovered?” My grandfather demanded.
“Four months ago, Your Majesty,” Fabin said, then winced at his king's enraged expression. “But no other trees were found in that condition.”
“Did you have a mage inspect the tree?” my grandmother asked.
“No, Your Majesty,” Fabin admitted. “With exception to the Prince of the East, there has never been any magical issues in Danu. I assumed it would be fine.”
“Neverassume again, Commander,” King Benalt ordered crisply. “Is there anything else you need to report?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“You're dismissed.” King Benalt glared at Fabin as he left the room. Then he turned his irate stare toward us. “It seems that I owe you an apology, King Everan. If Commander Fabin had been more forthcoming, we might have averted this... issue. We'd at least be further into our investigations.”
“It's an unusual situation,” Everan said generously. “Shall we meet your mage now?”
“Yes, of course.” My grandfather held out an arm to his queen and then led us out of the room.
Chapter Four
